We are intensifying our efforts to bring awareness to the life-and-death challenges Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) face from Islamic extremists. The horrors are numerous, and the threats are constant.
In February, 70 Christians were bound, marched into a church, and beheaded. The ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has continued its systematic targeting of innocent Christians for violence and death. Attacks in the DRC have increased by 500 percent in the last three months. Yet the atrocities still receive little attention from international media and global leaders. We are hopeful that a visit by the U.N.’s Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), to the DRC will reverse this trend. We have submitted a report to her in preparation for her May 19–30 visit.
The Special Rapporteur will no doubt find church leaders who are devastated and feel isolated. Christians are coming to terms with lawless living in some of the most dangerous conditions in the world. Seven thousand Congolese were killed in January alone. At the height of the violence, there were an estimated 600 sexual assaults a week, and not even the children were spared, as a sexual assault of a child occurred every 30 minutes. The need for us to come together to render our prayers and support is urgent. Please add your name to our petition: Protect Christians From Massacre in the Congo.
The issues in the DRC are deep. The eastern portion of the DRC continues to be a focal point of the violence that is instigated by rebel groups. In early 2025, the M23 rebel group – backed by Rwanda – captured key cities such as Goma and Bukavu. The ISIS-linked ADF has been able to seize upon the unrest, unleashing a wave of violence against vulnerable targets. Known for its sheer brutality, the group uses tactics such as mass executions, abductions, and forced recruitment to spread terror.
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Our sources on the ground describe nightmarish scenes of roving ADF militias storming into Christian villages with brutal force, terrorizing families, and forcing them to flee into the jungle with nothing. Children and parents alike are left to hide for days, starving, exhausted, and exposed, as their homes are pillaged and burned to the ground.
Our sources also tell us the terror escalates when ADF militants sweep into a town, school, or quiet street – forcing civilians at gunpoint to line up and give their names, a grim and ominous step that often precedes brutal violence. If someone bears a Christian name – such as Joseph or David – they are killed instantly. No trial. No mercy. The hatred for Christ and His followers runs so deep that a name alone is enough to seal your fate. It’s a chilling reminder of the brutal cost of faith in regions under siege by Islamic extremists.
These are not just attacks – they are deliberate acts of terror meant to break the spirit of entire communities. Christians who speak out face brutal retaliation, while government corruption and inaction leave civilians dangerously unprotected and isolated.
We are working to bring global attention to the systematic persecution of Christians in the DRC. By formally engaging with international authorities, congressional leadership, and the White House, we seek to ensure that these crimes do not go unanswered and that necessary measures are taken to prevent further violence. Our advocacy is a crucial step toward holding both state and non-state actors accountable for their roles in enabling such atrocities.
And that brings us to the upcoming visit of the U.N. Special Rapporteur to the DRC. She is an independent expert designated by the U.N. Human Rights Council to monitor, report on, and advocate for the rights of people displaced within their own countries with the goal of reversing trends in the targeted nation.
In preparation for the visit, the Rapporteur sought comments from organizations with expertise and knowledge. Through the ACLJ’s international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), and in cooperation with our sources on the ground, we provided the following insights regarding internal displacement topics in the DRC:
- Available data and evidence on internal displacement: The DRC faces severe internal displacement, with approximately 7.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 700,000 refugees since early 2025 due to M23 conflict. Displacement is driven by violence, insecurity, and natural disasters. IDP numbers are underreported, and camps often lack oversight.
- Physical safety and security issues: IDP camps in Eastern Congo face extreme insecurity due to the absence of law enforcement, poor oversight, and scarce resources. Women and children face high risks of assault while seeking essentials. IDP camps lack legal protection, human rights safeguards, and access to legal processes.
- Standards of living and access to basic services: Most IDP camps in the DRC lack essentials like food, medical care, clean water, housing, and services. NGOs struggle to meet the overwhelming needs amid falling funding. Poor coordination, duplication, and lack of infrastructure further hinder effective aid and sustainable support delivery.
- IDP participation in decisions that affect them: IDPs in Eastern Congo lack input in aid and peace processes. Aid is often duplicative and misaligned with actual needs due to poor consultation. Local leaders are often bypassed in decision-making. Representation in peace talks is hampered by logistical, financial, and structural barriers.
- Sexual exploitation issues: Armed groups and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the primary perpetrators, especially in IDP camps where policing is weak. Resource scarcity forces women and girls into survival sex, increases the risk of assault during travel, and drives underreported human trafficking as IDPs seek to escape through dangerous migration routes.
- Other priority issues: These are additional issues we bring before the Rapporteur. Eliminating the ADF threat, particularly its targeting of Christians, is critical. The DRC holds strategic value for U.S. security and energy goals, offers a chance to counter Chinese influence, and requires localized aid, strong community-based partnerships, and full restoration of M23-occupied territory.
Our complete submission can be viewed here.
The world cannot abandon the DRC nor remain silent in the face of such violence. Now is the time to demand accountability, provide security for the persecuted, and uphold the fundamental right to religious freedom in the DRC and beyond. But we need your help to accomplish this. Add your name to our petition: Protect Christians From Massacre in the Congo.
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